A road non-conference game against Georgia Tech and home games against UTEP and Northern Illinois have been set as part of the Kansas football team’s 2011 schedule, which was released Tuesday.

KU’s matchup against Northern Illinois will be the first in a home-and-home series, meaning the Jayhawks will play in DeKalb, Ill., in 2012.

“Getting a home-and-home series with a BCS conference opponent has been a priority since I came to NIU a year ago,” NIU athletic director Jeff Compher said in a release. “We know what it means to our fan base to have Kansas come to DeKalb, and this series is something that has been in the works for several months.

“We appreciate the willingness of (KU athletic director) Lew Perkins and his staff to work with us on these games. It’s always a challenge, knowing that we have to schedule our non-conference opponents many years out, but this is a scheduling philosophy (home-and-home series) that we want to continue over time.”

The Jayhawks will open Big 12 play in 2011 with a home game against Baylor. KU also will play Big 12 South teams Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as part of its schedule rotation.

KU’s season-opening opponent in 2011 still has not been determined.

The 2011 schedule is shown below.

2011 KU Football Schedule

Sept. 3 — TBA
Sept. 10 — NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Sept. 17 — at Georgia Tech
Sept. 24 — UTEP
Oct. 1 — BAYLOR
Oct. 15 — at Kansas State
Oct. 22 — at Texas A&M
Oct. 29 — IOWA STATE
Nov. 5 — at Colorado
Nov. 12 — NEBRASKA
Nov. 19 — at Oklahoma State
Nov. 26 — vs. Missouri (at Kansas City, Mo.)

* — Big 12 conference game